Door latch



' July 19, 1932. J c GRlFFlN 1,868,471

DOOR LATCH Filed Jan. 2, 1929 A TTORNEYS.

' 30 A handle plate 5'is formed Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES C. GRIFFIN, F ERIE,

COMPANY, ERIE,

DOOR LATCH Application filed January 2, 1929. Serial No. 329,883.

The present invention provides a door latch of simple and eflicient'construction one that may be readily reversed as to the sides of the door, one in which the fulcrum point of the actuating bar is atthe same face of the door as the latch bar, and one in which the latch bar may be readily locked through the locking ofthe actuating bar. Features and details of the invention will appear from 1 the specification and claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as follows Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of the latch. Fig. la'a front view of the handle plate. Fig. 2 a section on the line 2'-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a similar view with the latch bar reversed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the door catch.

Fig. 5 a section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1 with the latch unlocked Fig. 6 a similar view with the latch locked.

Fig. 7 an enlarged sectional-view of the locking latch on the line 77 in Fig. 5.

1 marks the latch handle. This isprovided with a securing end plate 2 struck up from the material of the handle and a screw 3 extends through this end 2 into a door 4.

on the upper end of the handle. It is secured to the door by opposingly placed screws 6 which extend through openings '7 in the-handle plate 5.

An actuating bar 8 extends through an opening 9 in the handle plate 5. The actuating bar has an off-set 10 which while it'permits of the insertion of the bar through the handle plate when the handle is detached from the door locks it against removal from the veither side of the door.

readily operated.

plate with the handle in place. The actuatmoves with it, or is locked A door catch 18 is adapted to receive the latch bar. It has an inclined point 19 and catch notches 20 at opposite sides of the point 19. This makes the catch available for The handle plate 5 extends outwardly from the face of the door a suficient distance to so place the fulcrum for the actuating bar as to give the actuating bar the desired movement for actuating the latch bar.

There are two oppositely placed openings 16 through which the latch bar may extend and the latch bar is simply a flat plate. All that is necessary to reverse the latch for opposite sides of the door is to secure the latch plate 14 with one or the other of the screws 6 as the side of the door will indicate. This with the reversing catch makes the latch as a whole completely reversible.

The actuating bar extends through an opening 21 in an escutcheon 22 on the op posite face of the door from the plate 5. The escutcheon is struck up from a piece of sheet ,metal with a surrounding rib 23 and is secured to the door by screws 24. These screws extend through openings 25 which are cut in the metal, the openings being struck up forming countersunk walls 26 for receiving the screws. A locking finger 27 is pivotally mounted onthe upper countersunk wall 26, this wall being headed over at 26a to secure the finger in place. The upper end of the finger has an extension 28 which projects through an opening 29 in the rib 23 and this. has a turned out portion 28a forming a handle by means of which the finger may be A finger end 31 is adapted to be swung over the actuating bar 8 so as to lock that bar in its normal latched position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the locking of this bar locks the latch bar 14 in that the walls of the opening 13 engage both the bottom and top of the actuating bar so that the latch bar is locked with the actuating bar and against movement with it. A friction washer 32 is arranged under the locking finger 27 and around the countersunk wall 26 and this yieldingly exerts sufiicient frictional resistance to movement to the finger to lock the finger either in a locking position, or an unlocked position asagainst any ordinary door ars.

lVhat I claim as new is 1. In a door latch, thecombination of a latch bar; a handleplate over the latch bar; an actuating bar fulcrumed on the handle plate a'nd having connection with and operating the latch bar, said connection compelling thelatch bar to move with the actifating bar in both directions; anesciitcheon adaptedfor'attachment at the smear a "door opposite the handle plate through which the actuating bar extends, ing screw-receiving openings therein with a counter-sunk wall; and a locking finger pivo'tally mounted on the counter sunk wall,

said finger being adapted to be swung into and out of lockin-genga'gement with relation 'to the actuating bar, v V

2. In a door latch, the combination of a latch bar a handle plate over the latch'bar adapted to be grasped by an operator to pull fthe'door toward him; and an actuating bar having a fulcrum on the handle plate spaced outside the latch bar, said actuating bar having athumb plate adapted to be actuated by air-operator grasping'the handle plate and "to actuate the latch bar by a downward movement of the thumb plate, said actuating bar having an inward extension adapted to extendjthrou' h a door and'to'be actuated from the opposite side of the door from the latch 'har by annpward movement of the'extension.

3. In adoor latch, the combination of a i'reve rsible latch bar; a handle plate housing the latch bar and which may be grasped by an operato'r'in opening the door, said houjsing having opposed openings for the latch "bar permittin the reversal of said'latch bar;

and means adapted to secure the latch bar in position on the handleplate so that the latch bar may extend through either open --ingo th'e-ha-ndle plate. 7

' '4, li j'a 'door latch, the ccmbinatio'nof a reversible latch bar havinga pivot opening; a handle plate housing the latch bar, said handle housing having opposed openings for the latchbar permitting the reversal of the latch bar and havin'gtwo screw o'penings;

and 'a'screw in-each of said openings, one of the, screws extending throughthe pivot opening said screws securing the plate and the latch bar in operative position.

5, In a door latch, the combination of a latch bar; a handle plate over the latch bar forining a housing for the latch ,bar,'sa'id handle plate being adapted to be grasped by anoperator to pull the-door toward him; means adapted to reversibly securethe latch bar pivotally ,on the handle plate; and an uactuating bar having a connection with the latch barcompelling a movement of the'latch barwith-the actuating bar in both directions 1 and having a f to ulcrum on the handle plate *outsid the. latch bar, said actuating bar hav said escutcheon hat;

actuating bar in both V-directions I adapted tobe ing a thumb plate adapted to be actuated by an operator grasping the handle plate and to actuate the latch bar by a downward movement of the thumb plate, said actuating bar having an inward extension adapted to extend through a door and to be actuated from the {opposite side of the door trom the latch bar by an upward movement of the extension. a I

v 6. In doo iatch, the ce hinatien or a latch bar; a handle plate over thelat'ch bar adapted to be grasped by an operator to pull the door toward him; an actuating bar having a connection with the latch bar compelling a movement of the latch bar with the and having a fulcrum-on the handle plate spaced outside the latchbar, said actuating bar having a thumb plate adapted to be, actuated by {an operator grasping actuate the latch bar by a downward movement of the thumb vplate, said actuating bar having an inward extension adapted to extend through a door and to be actuated from the opposite side 'of-the'door trom' the latch bar by anw'upwa'rd movement of the extension; 'and means acting on theinner end of the extension of the actuating bar locking the actuatingv bar.

7 In a -door-latch,the combinationf'of a;-

the handle plate and to ing a movement of the latch bar with the 1 Hacttiatingbar in both directions and ha'vjing a fulcrum on the handle E'plate s a d t id the latch bar, said actuating bar having a thumb "P adapted to be actuated by an operator grasping the handle {plate and to;

actuate-the latch bar by a downward movement of the thumb plate, said actuating her having an inward extension adapted to ex- "tend through "the opposite a, door and to be actuated from bar by an upward movement; at the extension =-an -e'scutcheon through which the inner end of the actuating bar: extends; and locking finger on the escutcheon locking the actuatingbar.

v 8. In adoor latch, th'e combination of a latch bar; a handleplate over the latch bar grasped by an operator to pull the door toward him an actuating bar havin-g aconnection with the latch bar compell- -1ng a movement v I the latchbar with the actuating bar in both directions and having a fulcrum 6n thehaiidle' plate "spaced outside the latch bar, "said actuating "bar having a thumb fplatehdaptedj to 'be actuated by an f'operator g rasping actuate the'lat'ch bar hy "a downward movefinient of the thu'mb plate,'said acti1ating bar the handl'efplate "and to having aii 'in-wa rd "extension ant-pad to extend through a ucqr anu m be actuated from side" OfIthe door tr'fom the latch ,r'?

the opposite side of the door from the latch bar by an upward movement of the extension; an escutcheon through which the actuating bar extends, said escutcheon having a pivot wall struck up in it, said wall formmg a screw opening for a securing screw and a locking finger mounted on the wall and adapted to be swung into and out of locking engagement with the actuating bar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 7 JAMES C. GRIFFIN. 

